PRINCE TO RECEIVE 2005 NAACP VANGUARD AWARD AT "THE 36TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS" FRIDAY, MARCH 25, ON FOX

Prince, the Oscar- and Grammy-winning songwriter, producer and performer, will receive the prestigious NAACP VANGUARD AWARD in a special presentation during the 36th NAACP IMAGE AWARDS ceremony in Los Angeles on March 19. The ceremony will air Friday, March 25 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

The NAACP VANGUARD AWARD is presented to a person whose groundbreaking work increases understanding and awareness of racial and social issues. It has been presented twice before, to Stanley Kramer and to Steven Spielberg.

During the 1980s, Prince emerged as the musical prophet of the era, releasing a series of albums that both defined and captured the spirit of the times. His genre-bending songs sent shock waves through the music industry that still reverberate today.

An extraordinarily successful and independent creative force, he grafted together pop, funk, rock, soul and a dash of folk to create an entirely new entity that would propel him to the top of the charts with 1984's "Purple Rain," which remained there for a mind-boggling 24 weeks.

Prince's albums pushed the boundaries of imagination to new heights as he created his own personal brand of intricate and idiosyncratic music, selling more than 100 million copies of his albums along the way. Prince is a visionary artist and consummate musician who was willing to rewrite the rules regarding an artist's relationship with a recording company.

Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities and monitor equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

For a detailed biography of Prince, please visit http://www.npgmusicclub.com/. For more information on the NAACP and the NAACP Image Awards, visit www.naacpimageawards.net.